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Today wraps up our week’s discussion of job insecurities, but for those of you who are struggling with job transitions or unhappy jobs, it need not be the end of this opportunity for spiritual growth. Today’s topic – the gift of perspective. There’s something about not having reliable income that jars us into taking stock of our lives and our lifestyles. My friends, this is a gift indeed.

At the end of Solomon’s life, he wrote Ecclesiastes to share his perspectives on what he’d learned. Here’s the perspective he shares on work and money in Ecc 5:13-20:

There is another serious problem I have seen in the world. Riches are sometimes hoarded to the harm of the saver, or they are put into risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost. In the end, there is nothing left to pass on to one’s children. People who live only for wealth come to the end of their lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day they were born. And this, too, is a very serious problem. As people come into this world, so they depart. All their hard work is for nothing. They have been working for the wind, and everything will be swept away. Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud – frustrated, discouraged, and angry. Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat well, drink a good glass of wine, and enjoy their work – whatever they do under the sun – for however long God lets them live. And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life – that is indeed a gift from God. People who do this rarely look with sorrow on the past, for God has given them reasons for joy.”

Now is the time for taking stock and asking good questions of yourself. Am I enjoying my career? Am I attempting to live a lifestyle that is beyond my means? Which comes first – my family or my job? How would I like to remember this period in my life? Taking time to ask God for wisdom and then honestly answering these questions can not only change your next job choice, but change the rest of your life.

I hope this week’s series was helpful to you. Next week – back to my random thoughts about being a Christian in corporate America!

Oh, and if you’re interested in learning more financial advice, the Bible offers tremendous wisdom on money – about 2300+ verses, more than faith & prayer combined. Also, I highly recommend The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn (or Money, Possessions & Eternity if you’re really serious about learning) to better understand what God has to say about money, or Dave Ramsay’s books – my favorite is Financial Peace – on how to take control of your finances. Happy reading.

2 Responses

Our church recently took a spiritual awareness survey – not a gifts survey but a survey asking what they believe and then a series of questions on what they do. As a church we scored high on believes and low on living our believes out. One of these particularly low areas was living out a general believe that Christians are called on to have compassion and provide for those that need help – the poor, the widows, the sick, etc.

I don’t think it is because our heart is in the wrong place but I think as you rightly point out, our perspective is in the wrong place.

Even when we are frugal enough to not spend beyond our means (both time and money) we spend all of our means. This leaves us with no time or money left over for those God may call us to help.

I guess the good news about the survey is that as a church we realize that our actions are not reflecting our believes. Now – are we willing to do anything about it?